Myfanwy!!

Forgot to mention Pippits foal - born on 22nd December - another filly!

As Pippit had had a problem with the birth of Valentine we were on hand with the required medication. Johan mentioned that the afterbirth did not look complete - seemed only half sized - so we gave her a jab of stuff that would help expel anything that was left..... nothing happened. After 2 hours (always happens in the middle of the night) we tried phoning vets who said it would not harm to give her another jab and if possible to pull on the afterbirth gently... but there was nothing showing at all. Gave her another jab and waited - still nothing - then I asked to see the "semi" afterbirth - there it was, all complete so we had been worrying for nothing!

Goregous little filly but after 2 days Sarah came to look at her and mentioned the straight pasterns - was sure they had not looked like that when she was born - so called the vet and poor Pippit is on a strict diet - her milk is too rich and the bones were growing faster than the ligaments could keep up. Amazing - after 2 days she looks perfectly normal again!

Wallis the springbok

Well, our dog Wallis has a future as a springbok rugby player - as proved by flattening me!

On Sunday evening I was walking back from Plot 2 (after a stimulating day trying to resurrect curtain rails disposed of willy nilly by the builders) when WHUMP! I was suddenly flat on my stomach facing the opposit way with a grazed eyebrow, no left shoe and a very sore leg!! Wallis had come running flat out to catch up to me and misjudged the size of her body - and whammo into my leg - I wish someone had had a video! We eventually found my shoe over 25m away in the opposite direction! Whew.

Poor Wallis, I lifted my head from the ground to see her creeping and crawling around my head - obviously saying, sorry, sorry, sorry! Here she is wearing her christmas hat.

Poor lonely blog

Poor little blog - so often in my mind but never reaches the keyboard! Well, its time to ressurect!

A busy Christmas - I worked through and we had Johans mum to stay - shame, she gets so bored on the plot and we have so much to do and so little time in which to do it! Lovely to have friends over for a lovely Christmas lunch and then off the next day to our traditional boxing day lunch with Bobby and Ted.

The "wii" christmas present has been a great success and I have discovered that I have a talent for 10 pin bowling (the virtual version!) - it is amazing how lifelike you can make the little "mii's" - Sam has even created a Biggles! Rummikub has also been very well used and the new world Monopoly has put a new spin on an old game!

Apart from the Christmas rush etc we were also coping with the renovation of Plot 2 next door. The transfer came through on 15th December and then we had to wait for Eskom to connect us - the builders were there in force, unfortunately though, not the electrician and tiler so things went a bit cockeyed in terms of the order in which things were done. In the end we were so frustrated we sent the builders off until the tiler and electrican had finished - which should be anyday now. We have learnt a costly lesson - builders who say they can paint and that know plumbers and carpenters that they recommend .......... enough said, just know that you will be ripped off with a shoddy job.

It is just unbelievable how much paint they can go through - and coming home each night to be given yet another list of materials required was the absolute end - just when in my day am I meant to have time to go via paint shops, hardware shops etc - I took leave one day out of sheer frustration - but the lists keep coming!

So, we temporarily banished the builders, when they come back we will have a checklist of everything that is wrong and will go through it with them - the main reason that most things have gone so drastically wrong is that neither of us are there to supervise and builders have no respect for materials and cost. Even so, blemishes aside, the house has been TRANSFORMED and is really going to look great once it is finished! Now, if any tenant dare mess it up...... the wrath of Di will be on their heads!